- JAN Tasks Entrepreneurs on Leadership
The Junior Achievement Nigeria has called on young people and entrepreneurs in the country to leverage the gains from mentoring and leadership sessions to develop themselves and forge a career path.
JAN made this call when it hosted 50 Nigerian youths to its annual Venture in Management Programme, 2018 edition, in Lagos.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Entrepreneurship in an Uncertain Economy’, Dr. Henrietta Onwuegbuzie of the Lagos Business School called on entrepreneurs and young people, who have decided to take to entrepreneurship, to ask themselves the problems they intend to solve through their products and services.
She stated, “That question is very vital because no matter how uncertain the business environment becomes, as long as you are adding value through your product or service, as an entrepreneur, you will always have a market.
“These are the things you all need to know about entrepreneurship. And you can learn more if you begin now to put into practice the knowledge you gain from leadership and mentoring programmes like the one being organised by ViMP.”
A ViMP alumni and Chief Executive Officer, Africa Initiative for Governance, Chinenye Ogwo, said, “One of the best things about the Venture in Management Programme is the opportunity it provides for participants to network with their peers, facilitators and the business executives they come in contact with.
“ViMP is a great platform that helps participants to kick-start their careers.”
The Principal and Head, FMCG/Agric, Africa Capital Alliance, Mr. Segun Adebanji, encouraged the participants to make the most of the opportunity, saying, “You must take every experience as a step towards becoming model business leaders.”
The Executive Director, FATE Foundation and a ViMP alumni, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, inspired the participants as she recounted her experience, noting how much of an impact ViMP had on her career path as a social entrepreneur and enabler of business.
ViMP is a mini-MBA programme organised by JAN, sponsored by African Capital Alliance Foundation and supported by the Lagos Business School and Accenture Nigeria.
The participants are usually outstanding serving, or recently served members of the National Youth Service Corps, who are selected through a rigorous process, which includes a residency programme at the LBS, where they are exposed to lessons in strategy, business management, finance, corporate governance, ethics and leadership as well as MBA-modelled business cases.
“These lessons prepare them to be ethical business leaders who will go on to run their own businesses or manage already established businesses,” a statement from JAN read in part.
